Spending money is pretty easy for all of us.  It’s especially easy when it’s not your money you’re spending.

In the S.C. Senate, we’ve made some bad spending decisions recently that I’ve taken issue with.  I always try to remember I’m spending the hard-earned money you pay in taxes. I wish more of my Senate colleagues thought that way.

Cigarette Tax

One of those spending issues came up this month: the cigarette tax.

The bill that passed the Senate did not get my vote because it puts our state at great financial risk.

If you followed the debate, you know that the current S.C. cigarette tax is 7 cents per pack, the lowest in the nation.  The proposal would raise our tax to 57 cents per pack, 20 cents above the Southeastern average, and provide $160 million in new revenue for our state.

I support raising the cigarette tax, but the devil is in the details of the spending plan.  The Senate earmarked the tax revenue for three items:

•    Smoking cessation programs;
•    Providing greater access to health insurance; and
•    Expanding Medicaid.

The first two initiatives are great ideas, but I cannot support expanding a rapidly growing entitlement program with diminishing funds.  Here’s what I mean.

In the past five years, our Medicaid spending has jumped from about $720 million a year to over $1.1 billion this year.  That’s a 50 percent increase in just five years.

Our total state budget is about $7 billion, and we’re already spending $1.1 billion on our current Medicaid obligations.

Keep in mind that one reason we are raising the cigarette tax is to deter smoking, a worthwhile cause.  Under this bill, we would be spending millions of dollars to expand Medicaid, and we would do it with a diminishing revenue source (people who stop smoking don’t buy cigarettes, so the state receives less money).  Using this process will guarantee that we have less and less money to put into Medicaid in the future.  In other words, we’ll create an incredible financial burden on the state in years to come.

That’s terrible fiscal policy that comes on the heels of our Legislature spending all of its $1.5 billion surplus last year because of equally poor planning.

Voting the way I did wasn’t easy, but I believe you sent me to Columbia to make the hard choices to benefit all citizens in the long run.  Many of you contacted me on this issue, and I certainly appreciate your insights and support.

Spending Caps

This week, the Senate will be debating a constitutional amendment to limit state government spending.  Based on the above information, it’s obvious the General Assembly needs some additional restraint on spending.

Spending money irresponsibly has become too easy for Legislators.  I’m for anything that will make us spend money the way you would, carefully and purposefully.

Education Accountability Act
The Senate unanimously passed a bill last week that will help our teachers gain ground on educating their students.

Most people are familiar with PACT (Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test, which is given to students in third through eighth grades).  Teachers use it to evaluate how good a job they’re doing in educating students.

PACT is given at the end of the school year, and the results aren’t back until the next school year, when the child is in the next grade.  In addition, it only gives a raw score, so teachers receive no feedback on specific areas where students need additional work.

This new proposal eliminates PACT and replaces it with a test that gives teachers faster and more specific feedback.  Overall, it helps the teachers and the students while keeping us all more accountable.

Contact Me

There’s not much time left in this Legislative session, but if you have an opinion on these issues or any others, you can always contact me by telephone (803-480-0419), email (shanemassey@scsenate.org), or regular mail (P.O. Box 551, Edgefield, SC 29824).  Or just pull me aside when you see me.

Together, we are beginning to make a difference in South Carolina.  I thank you for taking the time to participate.

April 23, 2008

Spending your tax money is what we elected officials do. It is part of the reason you elect men and women to hold governmental positions. We’ve been doing that in the S.C. Senate, where we have finished work on probably our most important bill, the state budget. In May, we take up another significant bill, raising the cigarette tax, and deciding where to spend that money.

State Budget

When the Senate Finance Committee began working on the budget this year, the committee members expected that our tax revenues would fall about $50 million short of last year’s predictions. But earlier this month, the S.C. Board of Economic Advisors – those really smart people who estimate how much tax revenue the state will bring in – changed their prediction; they’re now estimating a shortfall of $90 million in our $7 billion budget. That’s quite a difference, and it sent the Senate scrambling to make cuts we didn’t want to make.

Nearly every state agency’s budget was reduced, and special projects all across the state were eliminated from the budget. We did keep a 1 percent raise for state employees, but my colleagues took the $20 million needed to fund the raises from money that was going to a trust fund for state retiree benefits.

That’s irresponsible budgeting. But it’s not unexpected, when you consider that legislators spent a $1.5 billion surplus last year, rather than saving for a rainy day. Now, it’s pouring rain, and we don’t have an umbrella.

The Budget will now go to a conference committee to work out the differences in the House and Senate versions, but it won’t ultimately change the budget picture for this year.

Cigarette Tax
Many of you have contacted me about the proposal to increase the cigarette tax, and I appreciate the input. Starting May 6, the Senate will begin debating the proposed increase. Most legislators are willing to raise the tax, especially since our 7-cent tax per pack is well below the Southeastern average of 37 cents.

The House raised the tax to 37 cents; the Senate Finance Committee has voted to raise it to 57 cents per pack. However, there’s no consensus right now within the full Senate on how much it will be raised, so we’ll have a great deal of discussion about that topic.

The other part of the debate is where we’ll spend the money generated from an increased cigarette tax. We’ve discussed some places to spend it, such as giving tax credits to small businesses so they can provide health insurance for employees to granting individual tax credits for low-income citizens to purchase health coverage on their own. Unfortunately, those plans failed in committee.

Instead, the Senate Finance Committee narrowly approved a plan to use the money to expand Medicaid coverage. That proposal, along with others that will be introduced, is where our debates will center.

We’ll see where it leads in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, if you have an opinion on these issues or any others, you can always contact me by telephone (803-480-0419), email (shanemassey@scsenate.org), or regular mail (P.O. Box 551, Edgefield, SC 29824). Or just pull me aside when you see me.

We are spending your hard-earned money. I want to ensure you know what we’re working on so we can find the best solutions to improve the lives of all South Carolinians.

In all the bad news that came with the storms, there is a glimmer of good news.

In addition to there being no loss of life, the community response – neighbors helping neighbors – renews my faith in humankind.  It’s easy to read the newspapers or watch television and shake your head at the pain people inflict on each other.  Sin is deeply rooted in our world, to be sure.

However, after the storms I saw neighbors opening their homes to others in need.  I saw complete strangers volunteering to help people recover from storm damage.  I saw the Red Cross, Salvation Army, power companies, emergency responders, and others step up to help.

I saw government entities – the people who run local, county and state governments – take initiative, find answers, and provide cleanup and repairs, all in quick order.  It is easy to criticize these people, but we should give credit when it’s due them.  They’ve done a good job.

In case you helped but nobody had time to tell you “thank you,” let me do that now.  Your kindness, quick work, and caring attitude ruled the day.  I know I was inspired by your examples of unselfish help.

Senate Work
Not to make light of the recent tornados, but I can tell you strong political winds were blowing in the Senate in the form of a filibuster for a few weeks.  A filibuster, where one person or small group holds the floor to keep the Senate from voting on an issue, was held over a proposal to abolish common law marriage.

We’ve put that issue aside for now, and will soon delve into the $7 billion state budget.  The budget is always a difficult issue, but this year’s will be even more so.

The reason is that last year the state had a surplus of approximately $1.5 billion.  Rather than setting money aside for a rainy day, the Legislature spent the entire surplus.  Some of those expenditures were necessary, but it’s also necessary to plan ahead for difficult budget times.  This year is one of those times.

Based on recently released figures by our state’s economic advisors, we have less revenue coming in this year than expected.  With no money set aside for this year’s “rainy day,” we are forced to make difficult financial decisions.  For example, in the House version of the budget, most state agencies are being cut by roughly 2.5 percent.  The lone exception is K-12 education funding, which increased in the House version.

The budget is now in the Senate Finance Committee, and it’ll be on the Senate floor soon.  I’m committed to a responsible budget.  If we have to make tough financial decisions, let’s make them.  However, let’s not spend tons of money on unnecessary pork projects while cutting state agencies and giving state employees a pay raise that’s less than the inflation rate.

Neighborhood Chats
I’m really enjoying the Neighborhood Chats.  Folks are coming out, and I’m grateful to learn how you feel.  These chats also give me the opportunity to explain what’s going on in the Senate and where I stand on various issues.

If you haven’t made it out to one of the chats, you’ll have more opportunities.  I’m planning to schedule these meetings every few months in your communities.  We’ll advertise them and post the list on my website, www.senatormassey.com.

In the meantime, you can always contact me by telephone (803-480-0419), email (shanemassey@scsenate.org), or regular mail (P.O. Box 551, Edgefield, SC 29824).  Or just pull me aside when you see me.

Thanks for helping me take your views to Columbia.  But more importantly, thank you for reaching out to your neighbors in their times of need.

Today, the people of Aiken - and people all over State Senate District 25 - can be proud of Senator Shane Massey. He is committed to constituent service, making government accountable to everyday citizens, and he has made good on his promise to fight out-of-control spending.

Senator Massey has distinguished himself as one of the hardest working legislators in Columbia. He is passionate about public service. He meets face-to-face with constituents from all over his district regularly during “Neighborhood Chats.” He keeps constituents up-to-date on what’s happening at the Statehouse through an interactive website. And he makes himself available anytime by cell phone to discuss the issues most important to his constituents.

State government is becoming more accountable to everyday citizens thanks to Senator Massey. But there’s even more to Senator Massey’s impressive record.

Senator Massey believes, just as I do, that taxpayers have the right to know how their money is being spent in Columbia. After all, undisclosed earmarks add up to billions of dollars of government waste every year and put an undue tax burden on hardworking families.

As a good steward of the public purse, Senator Massey called for earmark reform and government spending transparency in the first piece of legislation he introduced in Columbia. Senator Massey knows politicians in Columbia are addicted to earmarks - funding their pet projects with our hard-earned tax dollars. Many times, politicians are able to sneak these funding requests into huge pieces of spending legislation without any sort of oversight or accountability to their constituents. Under Senator Massey’s legislation, members of the General Assembly are required to explain to their constituents and to the Senate Finance Committee or House Ways and Means Committee exactly what their spending request would fund.

This election year, voters are going to check campaign rhetoric against records of accomplishment. Fortunately for the voters of Senate District 25, Senator Massey’s record of accomplishment and bringing accountability to Columbia will earn him another term.

by Katon Dawson
South Carolina Republican Party Chairman

Published in the Aiken Standard

“When I look into the eyes of my daughter, my son-in-law and my grandchildren, I see the future of America,” Witherspoon said. “I see the hopes and dreams of Americans.”

Witherspoon was one of four speakers Thursday night at a McCormick County Republican Party meeting.

He said immigration is the most important issue Americans face.

“Folks, it is going to take more than WD-40 and duct tape to straighten this problem out,” Witherspoon said. “We haven’t secured our borders. If we don’t do something about that, then our country will continue to be infiltrated.

“It is not good for our next generation.”

Witherspoon also stands strongly behind adopting legislation to make English the official language, and he is strongly against a purported North American Union that would bind the United States with Mexico and Canada. He also supports using “In God We Trust,” “Under God” and all the traditions America was built upon.

“Running for this seat is not an ego trip for Buddy Witherspoon,” he said. “But I have been blessed.”

Thursday’s first speaker was school board member Kathy DuLaney, who spoke about children and touched on the new high school project.

She said McCormick County children “are taught to respect people,” which makes them stand apart from the rest. She also clarified the county district is not taking money from the county, but rather using money from the state to build the new high school.

“The state legislature has been kind to us,” DuLaney said. “The 388 money will leave us with a little over a million dollars that we will use to build the new school.”

Third District county council candidate John Philcox talked about the new Rivers Edge Forest Product company, the new and improved Food Lion and several other businesses that have created more jobs for the county. He also told attendees the sewer lines for the county are coming, because county council has received all of the approvals and cleared all of the bumps in the road.

Philcox said a water line will be placed to run to the Rivers Edge property with only a small problem of getting the line under the railroad. Philcox also said the cleared land next to Food Lion is the county’s land, and, for now, will be used for fairs, car shows and similar events. The EMS substation will be built near the Hamilton Branch toward the south end of the county, he said.

State Sen. Shane Massey, also up for re-election, updated the county Republicans on events being discussed and debated in Columbia. The three main things he said that were of main concern are payday lenders, DUI laws and immigration. Massey said an immigration bill is in the works with three state representatives and three state senators working on it.

“I’m doing my best and I’m working hard,” Massey said. “The only way I can represent you effectively is by listening to you, but I can’t listen if you aren’t talking.”

Also announced Thursday:

* Filing is open for candidates for county council and the school board. Filing for county council will close at noon Sunday.

* May 31 is the Republican state convention.

* The Republican state primary is June 10.

* There will be a GOP meeting with U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett as speaker April 5 at the courthouse in Greenwood.

Published in Greenwood Index Journal
By JAIME MADEWELL/Index-Journal staff writer
Friday, March 28, 2008 12:14 AM EDT

(EDGEFIELD, SC) ­Senator Shane Massey today filed for re-election to the State Senate, promising to continue his hard work for constituent services and government reform. Despite being the youngest and newest member of the Senate, Shane is already shaking things up and getting results for South Carolina and District 25 through his hard work on spending and DUI reform.

Shane has become known as one of South Carolina¹s hardest working legislators because of his constant commitment to constituent services. His cell phone has become the constituent service hotline for Senate District 25 constituent who run into state problems. He has kept constituents up-to-date on all the latest happenings at the Statehouse through his innovative website and frequent video and email updates. In just the past few months, Shane has held over 18 “neighborhood chats” across the district to find out the concerns of our area¹s families.

Shane tells constituents “I can¹t do my job and help shake up Columbia if you aren¹t telling me what¹s on your mind. I¹m holding neighborhood chats across the district so that you can tell me about the issues you care about.”

Shane has also stood strong on the conservative values we all share. He knows that our state will move forward when we implement strong commonsense ideas. The first piece of legislation he filed will create spending transparency in the State Senate. Currently legislators can insert pork barrel spending projects into the state budget with anonymity. These hidden spending projects explode our budget and put an undue tax burden on South Carolina¹s working families. Massey¹s legislation will require legislators to put their names on the earmarks they request. Those requests will be made public so that taxpayers know exactly who is responsible for them.

“Spending is out of control in South Carolina, and a large amount of it is happening in secret. Taxpayers have the right to know how we are spending their money. When I campaigned for State Senate I promised to work as hard as possible to shake things up in Columbia. I¹m proud to do that with my first bill, and I hope my fellow Senators will join me in demanding fiscal responsibility and protecting South Carolina¹s taxpayers.”

Aiken Standard

By HALEY HUGHES Staff writer